The Grazyna and Litawor Statue, Kraków, Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

The Grazyna and Litawor Statue stands on Poselska Street in the Old Town of Kraków. It commemorates the doomed couple from Adam Mickiewicz's narrative poem Grażyna, a Romantic tale of love, loyalty and war set in medieval Lithuania. It is a small stop, but it gives you a story to carry through the streets around it.

The story behind it

Adam Mickiewicz, the great poet of Polish Romanticism, published Grażyna in 1823. The poem is set in medieval Lithuania and follows Litawor, a prince, and his wife Grażyna, who rule their lands together. The trouble begins when the Teutonic Knights enter the story. Litawor looks to them as allies, while Grażyna sees the danger in that bond. Their disagreement, and the secrets that grow from it, push the two apart.

The tale ends in tragedy for both of them, with a funeral pyre as its final image. Mickiewicz drew on a Lithuanian past he knew from his own homeland, and that is why the statue sits comfortably in a city that loves its literary legends. Accounts of the plot vary in their details, so if you want the exact turns of the story, the poem itself is the best source.

What to look for

• Look at how the two figures are placed in relation to each other, since the sculpture is meant to carry the poem's mix of devotion and tragedy.
• Notice the setting on Poselska Street, a narrow Old Town lane where the statue sits among historic townhouses rather than in a grand square.
• Check nearby for any plaque or text that names the figures, then match it with what you know of Mickiewicz's poem.
• Step back and see how the statue looks from along the street, as the lane frames it differently from different spots.

Tips for your visit

• Allow five to ten minutes for the statue itself. It is viewed from the street, so there is no ticket to buy and no interior to enter.
• Morning or late afternoon usually gives a calmer street and softer light for photos.
• You are a short walk from Wawel Hill and the Main Square, so it fits easily into a wider Old Town stroll.
• Wear comfortable shoes, as Old Town streets are cobbled in many places.

See it on a quest

You can reach this statue as one stop on Legends of Krakow: The Artist’s Gamble, a self-guided walk themed around the city's legends. You walk from place to place on foot, the app tells you about each spot as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle based on what is in front of you. It is a paid quest, and one ticket covers the whole group. You can start whenever you like, with no guide and no group to join.